All Coming Back to Me Now
by Kris721
Summary: Scarlett and Duke are reunited a few years later after a disasterous break up.
1. Chapter 1

All Coming Back to Me Now

By Kris

Disclaimer: I do not own G.I. Joe. I do own the character of Diva and wouldn't mind sharing her with permission. I hope you like the story as much as I am enjoying writing it!

Chapter 1:

She entered General Hawk's office with a sense of trepidation. He had sounded a little odd on the phone when he asked her to report on the double. She shrugged off the feeling. After all, she was now second in command and the general had called her into his office at moments notice on hundreds, if not thousands of occasions since the chain of command had changed. Hawk stood up, recognizing her presence in the room.

"Sir," she greeted her commanding officer with a regulatory salute.

"Sergeant, have a seat." Hawk indicated with a hand. She sat down and crossed one leg over another.

"Is there something going on?" Scarlett asked wondering about the point of this meeting.

"Yes, there is some news I need to share with you." Hawk nodded and took a good look at the solider sitting before him. Her red hair, tied in her signature pony tail, was lying on her shoulder. Her blue eyes were staring back with a hint of a sparkle in them. He had only seen her lose the sparkle in her eyes once before, but it had been a dark time in her life and it made him almost want to change the news he was about to deliver. "I'm retiring, Scarlett."

"General…" Scarlett trailed off not sure what else to say. This was definitely surprising news. It was a bittersweet moment.

"I know it is sudden decision, but I feel the time is right. I've gotten word of a really great candidate to take over my position." Hawk continued.

"This person must be incredible for you to be so at ease about retiring." Scarlett chuckled.

"It's Duke." Hawk stated and waited for Scarlett's reaction. He had just dropped a verbal atomic bomb into the air.

"Oh…" Scarlett trailed off taking in the news.

"He made lieutenant and is ready to take on more responsibility." Hawk replied trying to ease the situation.

"And you think this time he will make a commitment…..to the team?" Scarlett questioned.

"I think that he would be an asset to the team. We've worked great without him, but you know deep down we worked even greater with him." Hawk responded. He could see the emotions raging inside his second in command.

"I can't say I'm thrilled about your choice." Scarlett shook her head. Hawk got up from behind his desk and sat in the chair next to Scarlett's.

"I know you both hurt each other and things got messy, but from a professional standpoint…together you two were unstoppable." Hawk sensitively addressed the issue.

"I just don't know if I can do it…it took me so long to get over him…it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done." Scarlett swallowed deep to stop the emotional pain from rising from her heart.

"He's already been offered the job and he accepted." Hawk added, "I completely feel confident leaving the team in both of your hands."

"When is he arriving?" Scarlett asked with a sense of dread.

"He'll be here in about a month. I'm going to make an informal announcement to the team later today." Hawk answered.

"Is that all, sir?" Scarlett asked hoping to be dismissed.

"Scarlett, this is a good thing. You and Duke will have to put your personal feelings aside and think of the team." Hawk advised while indicating the meeting was closing.

"Duke can't put anything or anyone in front of himself." Scarlett bitterly snapped automatically. She quickly realized what she had commented and felt her cheeks burn a little, "Sorry, sir."

"Shana, please try. I want to make this announcement knowing things will be fine." General Hawk asked as a friend. Scarlett stood up and they both headed towards the door.

"Clayton, I'll try…but I can't make a false promise that everything will be fine." Scarlett answered truthfully.

"Maybe I'm making a mistake and I should rescind the offer." Hawk ran his hands through his hair as he turned back towards his desk. Scarlett turned back to face the general. She knew retirement meant he could spend time with his wife and son. He wanted so desperately to make up for the time he had been unable to spend with them in the past.

"No, please. You've wanted to do this so you could spend time with your family. I'm sorry I made you feel uneasy about your decision. We'll make it work. I'll make it work." Scarlett pleaded, feeling guilty about her actions.

"I know I am putting you in a difficult position. For as much as I tried to turn a blind eye to everything….somehow it always got back to me. I just didn't realize how bad things had gotten between you two until it was too late." Hawk sympathized.

"I don't think anyone knew how bad it was until he was already out the door. I'd, uh, rather not think about it." Scarlett shook herself from the painful memory.

"Understandable, again, I'm glad you're willing to work on this for me. It means a lot to me to be able to retire without worry." Hawk nodded. Scarlett nodded in return and left his office.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N I'd like to thank my beta TopHat and I have bounced many ideas off of Scarlett Slipper and Pixie Red. Thank you for all of your help!!!!

Chapter 2

Outside Hawk's office, she took a few moments to collect her thoughts on what had just been revealed at the meeting. She covered her mouth with both hands and took a deep breath in, closing her eyes. She never thought she would see him again…and now not only would she see him again, they'd be working together.

"Scarlett, are you alright?" a male voice asked. Scarlett opened her eyes, unaware of how long she had been collecting her thoughts. Falcon, Duke's half brother stood before her looking concerned. She glanced quickly at his eyes and then dropped her gaze. He had the same damn eyes as his half brother. She could feel him looking at her concerned but couldn't bring her eyes to meet his…it was just too much.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. I, uh, just got caught up in the moment, I guess." Scarlett smiled falsely.

"Yeah, I know how that can happen. Hey, listen; can you do me a favor?" Falcon asked with a schoolboy smile on his face.

"Depends, I'm not stealing Beach Head's blankie for you again. Once is enough for me." Scarlett put her hands on her hips. Falcon laughed at the memory of stringing Beach's favorite blanket up the flag pole.

"Nah, nothing like that….I just wanted you to put in a good word for me with your roomie." Falcon flashed his player smile.

"Falcon, Diva's been with us for two years now. I think if she was interested she would have made a move by now." Scarlett honestly told him.

"Two years already? Well, sometimes the ladies are a little slow. They don't know how to approach someone as good looking as me." Falcon boasted.

"I'll tell her you were asking for her, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." Scarlett sighed.

"Tell her I asked, 'How you doin?'" Falcon nodded in a cocky fashion like that character on the show _Friends_.

"Ok…" Scarlett trailed off with a laugh as she continued on the way back to her quarters.

As she walked, she thought about the past couple of years and how things had changed so much in her life. Almost three years ago Lady Jaye and Flint had gotten married, moved off base, and quit the team. They had a little one now, a boy named James. He was almost a year and a half old now, Scarlett guessed. Scarlett and Duke had been the maid of honor and best man at the wedding. That was when things were going great. Scarlett had even caught the bouquet and Duke had caught the garter.

She had been offered the chance to move into Flint's quarters, as she was moving up in the chain of command. She neglected to take the new digs, as she was well aware of what Flint and Lady Jaye had done there. She was happy in her suite, even though the other bedroom stayed empty for almost a year before a new group of Joes were installed onto the team. Unfortunately, it was about the time that she and Duke started fighting constantly that she got a roommate, Diva. On her first night there, Diva proved herself by slamming the door in Duke's face after he made a really inappropriate comment to Scarlett. From that day on, Scarlett knew Diva had her back. It didn't matter that there was a seven year age difference; they still had plenty in common. Lady Jaye could never be replaced as her best friend and best roommate, but Diva was great.

Diva, also known as Chelsea Winters, was a computer genius and a very talented actress. She went on a lot of undercover missions as she could easily mimic any accent without flaw. She was a ham off duty, always trying to get a laugh out of her fellow teammates and her singing was beautiful. She was ALWAYS singing. She had been discovered after hacking into the Joe database from her home computer. When they first brought her in, Hawk was ready to give her an earful about how what she had done was a federal offense, but Mainframe had laughed seeing it was a woman who had cracked the security codes. Diva twisted his arm around hard and wouldn't let go until he admitted women can be just as talented with computers as men. Hawk knew there was something special in the girl and asked her to be a part of the team.

Scarlett swiped her key card through the lock mechanism and was greeted with sounds of high soprano notes coming from the bathroom.

"Diva!" Scarlett called wanting to make sure her room mate knew she was back.

"Hey, hey!" Diva emerged out of the bathroom. She was brushing her long wavy brown hair. It didn't take long for Diva to realize something was wrong with Scarlett. "What is it? Not a _Les Miz_ fan?" Diva tried to joke about her singing.

"No, you know I love _Les Miz_. It's something big." Scarlett sighed sinking into the couch.

"Oh, what is it? Or, is it something you can't tell me?" Diva asked concerned about her friend.

"Well, Hawk is going to announce it later today so I guess it would be alright to tell you." Scarlett decided after thinking about the secretive matter. "Hawk's retiring."

"What? Oh my gosh…Wow! Who's going to take over?" Diva responded to the breaking news.

"Duke is going to be in command." Scarlett answered biting her lip.

"Duke…as in, your Duke?" Diva asked in shock. Scarlett nodded wincingly. "What? What is Hawk thinking? Apparently he forgot World War 3 happened on this base. What?" Diva exploded.

"He's thinking about the team. I'm not thrilled with Hawk's choice but Duke is a good leader." Scarlett replied still letting the news that Duke would be back in her life sink in.

"When is this change happening?" Diva inquired.

"In about a month. I'm guessing Duke will probably arrive a week or so earlier than that." Scarlett speculated.

"How are you feeling about all this?" Diva asked

"Honestly….I feel sick." Scarlett answered and raced into the bathroom. She gagged over the toilet bowl as her mind raced with all the memories of her former lover that she tried so hard to push away. The reality of Duke coming back was finally hitting her the more she talked about it. Her body ached and she started sobbing. The cement lid she had created over this episode of her life had just blown wide open. She sat down on the floor letting the tears silently fall from her eyes.

"Shana…" Diva softly spoke entering the bathroom. Scarlett felt her room mate sit down and put her arms around her.

"Chels, he hurt me so bad. How am I supposed to make this work?" Scarlett sobbed.

"I'm sure it won't be easy at first, but it will work out. Hawk has confidence in you and so do I." Diva tried to make Scarlett feel better. Diva let Scarlett cry for a few more minutes before making a suggestion. "Why don't you call Allison? She might have some words of wisdom." Scarlett looked up to see Diva holding their cordless phone.

"Thanks, Chels." Scarlett took the phone with one hand as she rubbed her tears away with another.

"I can't believe this is happening. It's like a real life soap opera." Diva shook her head.

"No kidding. Oh, speaking of soap operas, there was a certain gentleman whom I ran into today who asked about you. Rather he gave me a message to pass on…" Scarlett cleared her throat, "How you doin?" she asked in her best impersonation. Diva sighed in exasperation as she stood up.

"Will Falcon never quit? He's as persistent as Shipwreck! He is the most selfish, self centered, pig headed, ugh! It must run in the family!" Diva threw up her hands in disgust.

"You're smart not to get involved with him. I'm sure that road would lead to Heart Ache City." Scarlett nodded.

"Maybe we should teach Falcon a lesson on manners?" Diva grinned as an idea popped into her head.

"The more embarrassing, the better" Scarlett grinned liking where her roommate's mind was going.

"You go call Allison and let me work out a plan." Diva smiled leaving Scarlett alone to make her call.

Scarlett walked to the living room and plopped down on the couch while entering the Fairborne's number. Allison picked up on the third ring. While Flint worked a desk job at the Pentagon, Allie was a stay at home mom.

'Hello," a familiar voice answered on the other end.

"Allie, how are you?" Scarlett asked a bit nervous. It had been awhile since she had talked to her best friend.

"Shana! Oh my god, so good to hear from you!" Allison exclaimed.

"I'm ok. How are you?" she answered.

"I'm fine, Dash is fine, James is fine. I'm just feeding him. Let me put you on speaker phone" Allison answered. Shana could her baby noises in the background.

Scarlett heard the click over and she cooed, "Hi, James!" into the phone. She heard Lady Jaye tell her son that Aunt Shana was on the phone.

"Dash is home too, a rare day off…let me get him." Allison spoke and called for her husband.

"Yeah, there is some news I think you'd both be interested in hearing." Scarlett sighed mentally preparing herself for repeating the news again.

"Red! Long time, no hear!" a familiar voice entered the conversation.

"Hi, Dash, still charming as always." Shana laughed. She heard Allison laughing sarcastically in the background.

"So what's this news?" Allison asked after composing herself.

"Duke's coming back to the team." Scarlett simply stated. The phone was silent for a few moments.

"What? How?" Allison asked confused on the line. Scarlett could hear Dash in the background wondering the same thing.

"Hawk's retiring. Duke's taking his place. He's a lieutenant now." Scarlett reported. She still felt nauseous relaying the news, but not enough to have to rush to the bathroom this time.

"Is this a rumor or did you hear this from Hawk directly?" Allison questioned.

"Straight from the general's mouth. No one else knows yet. He's making an announcement later today. I came straight back to my quarters and told Diva and now I'm calling you." Scarlett answered.

"How can Hawk think this is a good idea?" Flint wondered out loud. Scarlett could hear James start to cry.

"Even James knows this isn't a good idea!" Allison cried making light of the baby's perfect timing.

"Hawk brought up good points about Duke being a great leader. I can't disagree with that." Scarlett answered truthfully.

"You two did make an amazing team." Dash quipped.

"How do you feel about this?" Allison asked trying to take the attention off of Flint's statement.

"At first, I was shocked and appalled. I think I scared Hawk into almost changing his mind. But, I know how much he wants to be with his family and spend time with his son….I couldn't let him give that up for my selfish reasons." Scarlett responded.

"Yeah, he's always felt guilty about not being there for his family more." Dash added.

"I just hope things do work out and that in the next couple weeks I can come to grips with this. I mean right now, if I saw him, I'd punch him in the face." Scarlett admitted freely.

"You have every right to feel that way after what he did. But you're right; you have to figure out how you are going to handle things. You definitely can't punch your commanding officer on the first day." Allison replied.

"What am I going to do?" Scarlett replied at a loss.

"You're going to show Duke how strong and resilient you are. He's going to get off that chopper and be blown away by how confident you are. Be the bigger person." Allison advised.

"You're absolutely right." Scarlett agreed. James began to wail.

"I have to go. The little one is getting fussy." Allison sighed.

"Ok, it was good talking to you." Scarlett replied.

"Keep us posted!" Allison demanded before they exchanged good byes.

Scarlett got up from the couch and placed the phone back on its charging cradle. She went into her room and closed the door behind her. She needed to be alone with her thoughts right now. Hawks words swirled around in her mind. Duke was coming back. Her thoughts drifted to the last few weeks they had been together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Flashback, 2 years earlier**

Scarlett stood in front of Duke's quarters, incredibly nervous. Things had been rocky between them for about a month and she never knew what mood Duke would be in when she saw him. But tonight, she had something to tell him that was going to change their lives forever. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Glad you could make it." Duke commented as he opened the door.

"Something smells good." She mused taking in the scent of something cooking, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm just finishing up…" Duke informed her and went into the kitchen. Scarlett sat on the couch and flipped on the television making herself comfortable. An envelope that was placed on the coffee table in front of her caught her attention. She picked it up, recognizing the emblem on the legal envelope as belonging to the Army's Officer Candidates School. She opened the flap and let the paper fall out. It was a congratulatory letter for Duke stating his course schedule would be starting in a month. Her mouth dropped open and the paper fell to the floor. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion. Duke came into the room to tell her dinner was finished.

"Con, what is this?" Scarlett asked picking up the letter from the floor. Duke's eyes grew serious when he saw what she had in her hand.

"Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about this." Duke sighed taking a seat.

"Are you leaving?" Scarlett asked confused as to why Duke had not said anything about this before.

"I think it's finally time I take the offer to be an officer." Duke began.

"I thought you didn't want to be an officer?" Scarlett responded back feeling her heart sink.

"I'm getting older and I can't be a field sergeant forever. This will be a way up the ladder. I figure I'll get my promotion and then see what's out there. I've always wanted to lead a team overseas." Duke replied.

"So that's like your five year plan?" Scarlett questioned her heart now pounding.

"In a nutshell, I guess. I mean I wouldn't be disappointed if I stayed here on American turf." Duke thought about the possibilities.

"What about marriage? Children? Are those in your five year plan?" Scarlett asked directly.

"I don't know. I mean I guess so." Duke answered hesitantly.

"So you 'guess' you see me in your five year plan? And what about my aspirations? Did you think about what I want in the future?" Scarlett asked getting heated. She stood up and glared down at Duke.

"I-" Duke started but got cut off by Scarlett continuing her tirade.

"I'm not going to be a trophy wife. Or be stuck barefoot and pregnant. I'm not going to stand silently on the sidelines while you conquer everything you want to do." Scarlett fumed.

"This is why I didn't tell you about school. I can't tell you anything anymore without it leading to an argument. How do I even know you want to be in my five year plan? It's not like we've been seeing a whole lot of each other lately." Duke grumbled.

"It's not my fault I keep getting put on recon missions. I'm not in charge." Scarlett threw at him.

"You think I want you on all those missions with Snake Eyes?" Duke asked standing up.

"At least with me on missions you don't have to try and fit me into your schedule. With me gone you are free to do what you please, like sign up for these classes!" Scarlett stood up as well.

"You fitting into my schedule? Remind me who said 'no' to breakfast a few days ago." Duke responded heated.

"If you only knew…" Scarlett whispered softly thinking she only heard what she said.

"You were probably cleaning up after a night with Snake Eyes!" Duke challenged. Scarlett drew back her hand and slapped him hard across the cheek.

"How dare you! You have no idea what's going on!" Scarlett shrieked making her way to the door.

"Oh I got an idea all right... did Ninja Boy unsheath his sword for you?" Duke continued to jab while following her to the door.

"If you were paying attention to anything, you'd know what was going on!" Scarlett ignored his last comment. "I think we should end this right now. We've already said and done things we don't mean."

"Fine, you know the way out." Duke snarled and disappeared into his bedroom.

Scarlett slipped out the door and made her way back to her quarters.

(End Flashback)

Scarlett felt like little needles were pricking her eyes, as tears threatened to spill over. She hadn't thought about that night in a long time, at least in not as much detail. That was not the way the night was supposed to end. She had so much to tell him, so much to share. The remarks about Snake Eyes had sent her over the edge. It was true she had dated Snake Eyes in the past, but that was a long time before Duke had even joined the team. She remembered how embarassed she felt walking back to her quarters, especially because Diva had just moved in. She knew she had to faces these demons now, rather than have them come out in a few weeks with Duke around. Things only had gotten worse from that night and those were memories she would have to face in the coming weeks as well.

Scarlett heard a soft knock on her door. She opened the door to find Diva standing there in a rather ravealing outfit.

"It's for the plan." Diva smiled at Scarlett's reaction.

"Plan?" Scarlett asked still pulling her mind completely from her memories.

"Yes, remember, the plan to embarrass Falcon? I have it all worked out." Diva smiled. She was about to reveal her plan when there was a call for everyone to gather in the large assembly room.

"I guess this is the announcement." Scarlett sighed and then looked at Diva, "If I were you I'd throw something on over that outfit."

"I was just thinking that!" Diva quipped and dashed out of Scarlett's room. Scarlett entered the main room and soon Diva did the same. The two left for the meeting together.

The meeting had only lasted about fifteen mintues, with most of the Joes feeling heavy hearted that Hawk was leaving, but ecstatic that Duke was returning. She could feel many soldier's eyes on her once Hawk revealed who was taking over. Everyone who had been a part of the team when Duke left knew of the bad break up. There was a small handful of Joes who knew every detail of the demise of her relationship with Duke, and only a few of that handful were still with the team. As the soldiers exited the meeting, a lot of them wanted to ask Scarlett how she was handling the news. Diva had shooed them all away and had protectively brought Scarlett back to their quarters.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The afternoon soon turned into the evening and once again, Diva emerged from her room dressed in that revealing outfit. This time her hair was styled and she had on make up.

"And where are you going?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow.

"On a date…" Diva smiled.

"With Falcon?" Scarlett's jaw dropped.

"Relax, it's all part of my plan. Just make sure to announce a meeting in Hawk's conference room for early tomorrow morning." Diva smiled slyly before parting. Shana shook her head wondering what Diva had in store for Falcon. She went back into her room and lay on her bed. She remembered how after her world fell apart she spent days in her bed wondering when her heart would heal.

(Flashback)

A few days after finding out about Duke's impending departure, Cobra had attacked suddenly and the base was under fire. Whatever Cobra brought, the Joes gave back harder and fiercer. Sky strikers were battling with Rattlers. Tanks were shooting at each other, trying to win the battle. Scarlett was on the ground. Troops had done a nice job polishing off about thirty B.A.Ts and a dozen or so Cobra troopers. She saw the Baroness and went after her before she had a chance to do any damage. Scarlett had the upperhand until the Baroness did some skillful manuevers, ending with a kick to the stomach, sending Scarlett to the ground. Scarlett jumped up on the defense, but doubled over. She dropped to her knees, knowing something was terribly wrong. Scarlett closed her eyes, knowing she was done for. When another blow failed to come for several moments, she opened her eyes seeing that Cobra was retreating. She stood up slowly, wincing. She staggered to the closest team member.

"Duke…" she called weakly. He turned around and caught her in his arms as she began to collapse.

She awoke to the sound of humming machines and stiff sheets. She stirred slowly, aware of her body aching.

"Scarlett," she heard a voice call. She turned her head and focused on the man standing before her, Doc, the chief medical officer.

"Doc, what happened? Am I alright?" Scarlett asked concerned.

"You collapsed into Duke's arms and he brought you here, but I'm afraid it was too late." Doc explained. Scarlett's thoughts drifted to her mid section and she knew.

"My condition…" Scarlett trailed off, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett, you lost the baby." Doc informed her and squeezed her hand for support. An overwhelming sense of loss rippled through her body as she continued to sob. As her sobbing quieted, Doc continued, "You told me Duke knew about the baby."

"You told him? What about doctor/patient confidentiality?" Scarlett asked propping herself up on her elbows.

"When I asked you if he knew you said yes. How was I supposed to know you weren't telling the truth?" Doc fired back.

"I was going to tell him…the conversation just went in a different direction." Scarlett replied.

"Well, he knows now. He stormed out of here like a Texas tornado. I imagine you'll have a lot of explaining to do." Doc predicted.

"I have to see him." Scarlett decided and kicked the covers off. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"You still have to be under observation for several hours." Doc commanded and put a hand on her shoulder. There was no disobaying his orders and Scarlett swung her legs back onto the bed and rested against the pillows.

"I'm sorry he had to find out this way." Doc apologized quietly before leaving the room. The tears came back again full force. The next few hours were the most agonzing hours in her life. She was at Duke's quarters moments after being discharged. She knocked cautiously, preparing for an emotional storm. He opened the door looking dishevieled.

"How could you?" he hissed. He turned away from her, leaving his door open for her to enter.

"I'm sorry." Scarlett apologized softly shutting the door behind her.

"Do you know how insulting it was to be called into Doc's office and having him tell me you miscarried when I had no idea there was a baby at all?" Duke angrily shouted.

"I was going to tell you, but then we started arguing about officer school and the future. You basically told me you hadn't thought about my place in your future…and I was supposed to tell you that I'm pregnant?" Scarlett responded defensively.

"You should have told me long before that. You should have told me as soon as you found out! Unless you weren't sure who the father was." Duke growled.

"Don't you dare suggest I was unfathiful!" Scarlett warned ferociously while poking his chest.

"You're not the same person Ifell in love with. That Scarlett would never have kept this a secret." Duke turned his back to her and lowered his head.

"Are we back to talking about secrets, Mr. I-want-to-be-an-officer?" Scarlett threw back.

"Get out." Duke commanded firmly.

"Can't take the heat?" Scarlett charged.

"I'm done dealing with all this, including you. Get out!" Duke demanded stronger.

"I hate you, Conrad!" she screamed in anger and stormed to the door.

"The feeling is mutual!" he shouted back before she slammed the door.

(End flashback)

Scarlett's mind drifted from the memory and she found herself clutching her journal. She had no memory of having retrieved it from its usual place on her desk, but it was already spread open onto one of the most sacred pages she had ever written. Her first ultrasound picture was paper clipped to the page and she had written down a

boy's and girl's name, even though it was supposedly bad luck that early to think of names. Caitlin Margaret for a girl and Conrad Steven, Junior for a boy. She had written C.J. in parenthesis underneath for the nickname he would adopt from Conrad Junior. She wondered what her life would be like now if things had turned out differently. Her child would be about the same age as Allison's James. It wasn't long after she miscarried that Allison told her that she and Dash were expecting. No one knew of her pregnancy except for Duke and Doc. Scarlett had a feeling Hawk knew as well, but he never mentioned anything about it. It pained her to think that she had missed out on her chance to have a family. Her mind lingered on the day of the miscarriage and then drifted into thoughts of the night that sealed her broken heart.

**(Flashback)**

It had been several days since the miscarriage and she had not spoken to Duke nor had he contacted her. She was in a depression about losing the baby and fighting with him. Most of the Joes knew something was rupturing between the couple, but no one knew how extensive the damage was. Diva had been at her side day and night, making sure she was alright without asking what exactly was going on and Scarlett was very grateful for her company.

After having an emotional talk with Diva, Scarlett had decided it was time to face Duke to hash out everything and see if there was anything worth salvaging. Each step towards his door made her heart pound louder. His angry words echoed through her mind and she had to squeeze her eyes shut to stop tears from forming. She hadn't been very nice to him lately either. She stood in front of his quarters and took a deep breath before knocking.

There was no answer after several moments, so she began to turn away when suddenly the door flung open.

"What do you want?" Duke demanded putting his hands on his hips. He was dressed only in work out shorts. Scarlett found it a little odd that he answered the door dressed to a minimum, but shrugged it off.

"I thought we should talk." Scarlett answered crossing her arms in front of her.

"I think we've said all that needs to be said." Duke disagreed and took a step back into his quarters.

"We've said a lot of things to each other that were hurtful. I want to talk to you….no screaming, no insulting, no accusing….just talk." Scarlett explained herself.

"I'm busy." Duke quipped and started shutting the door, but Scarlett stopped it with her leg.

"That's our problem, Conrad. We've been too busy for each other. We stopped talking time out to nuture our relationship. That's why we're struggling." Scarlett pleaded, hoping Duke would not shut her out.

"Struggling? I'd say more like F.U.B.A.R." Duke shot back, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really am busy."

"I've invested four years of my life with you. I think you could be 'un-busy' for just a few minutes and talk with me." Scarlett spoke calmly, trying hard not to raise her voice or say something out of anger.

"Conrad, when are you coming back to bed? I'm getting cold…" a female's voice cooed from Duke's bedroom. It didn't take long for Scarlett to place to voice as Cover Girl's, another female team mate.

"Unbelievable…" Scarlett shook her head, closing her eyes.

"I told you I was busy." Duke restated emotionless.

"Yeah, I guess you are. Sorry I interupted things." Scarlett sighed and reached around to the back of her neck and pulled a necklace out from under her uniform. She yanked on the chain, splitting the clasp. Duke recognized the horse shoe charm dangling on the chain. He had given it to her before they even started dating, for being his good luck charm. She had gotten him out of sticky situations countless times. She had worn it every day.

"I think my luck has run out." Scarlett softly whispered, putting the necklace into Duke's hand. She spun around and walked out of his quarters without another word, without turning back.

(End Flashback)

That was the last she had seen of Duke. The very next morning she requested to be put on a recon team that was leaving for a two week mission. When she returned, Duke had moved out and moved on. Cover Girl had not lasted much longer either. She decided to transfer to Intel, not wanting to face Scarlett as a commanding officier or team mate. Scarlett massaged her temples and cheeks with her hands. All these memories were so raw with emotion. She couldn't help but to feel the heart ache all over again. How was she going to handle seeing him again, let alone work with him?

The noise of the door opening startled her and she found Diva standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She quickly flipped her journal shut and pushed it under her pillow, wanting to hide it.

"Do I still need to call a meeting for tomorrow?" Scarlett asked wondering if Diva's plan worked.

"Oh, uh, no….the plan didn't work out the way I thought it would." Diva smiled weakly.

"What happened?" Scarlett asked happy to focus on something else than her failed relationship with Duke.

"Well, I was going to take him to the conference room and let him think he was going to get somewhere with me…y'know…let him strip down to the bare minimum…..and then I was going to handcuff him to the support beam and leave him there." Diva revealed her plan.

"That would have been classic!" Scarlett exclaimed with a gleeful expression, but soon grew concerned by the look of disappointment on Diva's face. "What's wrong?"

"I had a good time with him. It wasn't anything like I imagined it would be. He's actually a gentleman." Diva revealed most surprised about her discovery.

"Really," Scarlett replied surprised at Diva's reaction.

"There was something different about him tonight. We talked about a lot of things, personal things….I just couldn't pull a prank on him." Diva shook her head.

"Sounds like someone's had a change of heart…" Scarlett teased. Diva grabbed a pillow of the bed and swung it playfully at her room mate. The two women swapped stories and gossiped long into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 /New Chapter

**Chapter 5 /New Chapter**

Weeks had passed and the base had been busy preparing for Hawk's departure and for Duke's arrival. Scarlett had passed by Duke's old quarters and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the shiny new brass plaque on the door reading LT. CONRAD HAUSER. She quickly wondered why he wouldn't live in Hawk's old quarters, but then remembered Duke was a creature of habit and probably requested his old quarters out of comfort. She ran her hand across the plaque as it sank it that this was really happening. In a few short hours she would face the man who had left her broken hearted and not able to trust anyone, even herself with her heart. Hawk had requested, no, more like commanded her to be with him when Duke's ride arrived. Diva had been very supportive throught out the weeks, and Scarlett told her everything about the break up. She felt she owed it to her since she had stuck by her through it all.

It was now minutes before his scheduled arrival. Her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. She couldn't stop fidgeting or biting her lip. She saw a chopper come into view.

"That's him." Hawk remarked using his hand as a visor to block the sunlight from his eyes. Scarlett brushed her hair off of her shoulders. Diva had curled it a bit and it hung loosley around her face instead of in her usually sleek ponytail. The chopper became larger and larger as it got closer to the landing pad. It landed skillfully moments later. The blades slowed down as a figure emerged from the cockpit. He was struggling with a bag and hadn't noticed her standing there yet. This gave her a good opportunity to analyze all his features. He hadn't changed much in two years. He wore the same uniform and his blond hair looked freshly cut as always. Finally he looked up to see who was there to greet him. His blue eyes latched onto hers and they just stared for a few moments. Both of their eyes held the expression of surprise, but soon turned to a look of contempt.

"I'm surprised you're here to greet me. I wasn't expecting that." Duke finally broke the two year silence.

"Oh, and who were you expecting, Cover Girl?" Scarlett snapped.

"Yeah, maybe I was." Duke answered just as sharply. Scarlett narrowed her eyes and grunted before storming off.

"After two years you still can't be civil to each other?" Hawk sighed, annoyed at how the pair was acting.

"She's the one not being civil. She took what I said and turned it into a shot against her." Duke protested.

"Right, I'm sure your comment was as innocent as you claim" Hawk rolled his eyes.

"Well, I may have wanted to dig a little into her." Duke truthfully admitted.

"I'm nervous I made a wrong decision to leave." Hawk frowned.

"Clayton, you have my word that I will make this work. Even if I have to break my back to get her to work with me, I'll do it." Duke promised.

"She promised she'd try too. I just hope it's enough." Hawk prayed. The two caught up while walking around the base.

That night the Joes were holding a joint retirement party/welcome back party for Hawk and Duke. Scarlett knew she had to go for Hawk, but wanted nothing to do with welcoming back Duke. She and Diva walked to the cafeteria together for the event.

"I wish you would have been there this afternoon, just to see how arrogant and cocky he was." Scarlett sighed annoyed after filling Diva in on the encounter with Duke. They pushed through the double doors and found that the mess hall had been decorated for the event. Tables were now dressed with fancy cloth covers and a small centerpiece of flowers. The Joes that already had arrived were standing and socializing with each other. Scarlett scanned the room and saw Duke surrounded by a bunch of soldiers in one corner. She watched as the group began to laugh. She gritted her teeth. How could everyone just welcome him back like he was god's gift to the team? She felt a tap on her shoulder and whirled around. Her eyes flew wide seeing her friend Allison standing there.

"Allie!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around her old room mate. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't think Dash and I would be left off the guest list, did you?" Allie answered happy to have surprised her best friend.

"Is Dash here? Where's James?" Scarlett asked looking around.

"Dash is around here. We got a baby sitter for James over night. I didn't want to say anything about coming because I wasn't sure we'd find a babysitter." Allie explained. Scarlett hugged her friend again. After they broke apart, Diva and Allison exchanged friendly hellos.

"So have you talked to him since he got here?" Allison asked.

"Hawk wanted me to be with him when Duke touched down. As soon as he got off the chopper he made a comment to me. I left before I punched him." Scarlett summed up the first meeting. An announcement was made to get seated. The three girls sat together.

"Do you see Dash? I don't want him to miss anything." Allie craned her neck to look for her husband.

"He's sitting with Duke." Diva spotted him.

"Are you kidding?" Scarlett replied upset.

"I don't mind. You know Dash and Conrad are still good friends." Allison reminded the red head. The group fell silent for a few moments

"Did Duke say anything to Dash about coming back here? About working with me?" Scarlett asked in a small voice.

"I know Duke was nervous about his decision to come back. He's really hoping things work out." Allison informed her.

"Well he didn't make much of an effort to get along earlier." Scarlett said bitterly. Before anyone could respond, Hawk stepped up to the podium that had been assembled and kicked off the celebration. While the Joes dined on Roadblock's finest cooking many stepped up to the podium to talk about Hawk and his accomplishments. Even Scarlett went up and spoke hough she had not prepared a speech. Everyone knew her speech was from her heart. As dessert was coming around, some Joes went up to the podium and toasted Duke for coming back. That prompted Duke to take the podium and talk about how thrilled he was to be back and what an honor had been bestowed upon him. He joked about having big shoes to fill.

"I can't listen to this anymore. I'm going to get some air." Scarlett whispered to Diva and Allison. Her chair made a loud scrapping noise on the floor as she backed it away from the table, enough for other tables to turn their attention from Duke. Embarrassed, she quickly left the room. There was an exit leading outside not far from the mess hall. She stood outside, her back to the building, taking deep breaths with closed eyes. She guessed Duke's speech was over when she heard faint sounds of clapping a few minutes later. She deeply inhaled the night air, wishing this were all a nightmare and that she would wake up soon and realize this wasn't real. She exhaled just as deep and opened her eyes. She mentally cursed finding her surroundings the same, meaning she was not dreaming. She heard the door open and footsteps coming towards her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Go away." she demanded.

"Shana, we have to talk." His voice revealing a slight twinge of nervousness. She felt her blood begin to boil as it pulsated through her veins.

"Oh, so now you think we need to talk. Well, two years ago I wanted to talk but you were too busy sleeping with Cover Girl!" Scarlett lashed out whirling around to face him.

"We need to find a way to work together. The team is going to suffer if we don't." Duke ignored her comment.

"Is this you caring about something else besides yourself? I don't think I've ever seen that before." Scarlett said pretending to be shocked.

"God damn it! I came out here to offer a truce and all you're doing is adding more fuel to the fire!" Duke screamed. Scarlett subconciously took a step back in for defense.

"Why did you come back?" Scarlett asked narrowing her eyes.

"Shana," he said as she shivered with repulse when he used her real name, "you know I love this team. When I got the offer to take over for Hawk, I couldn't pass it up. It was an honor to be nominated for this job." He replied bringing his voice back to a calmer decibal. "I know you want this to work too, for Hawk's sake at least"

"I do." Scarlett nodded softly.

"So can we have a truce? I know it's a lot to ask and it is taking a lot for me to offer it." Duke asked again. Scarlett bowed her head and thought for a few moments.

"Alright, for Hawk's sake." Scarlett agreed.

"Good, I'm glad it's settled." Duke nodded and returned inside the building. Scarlett looked up at the stars in the night sky wondering how she was going to be

able to handle this new situation. Without receiving an answer, she retreated back into the building. She was about to turn down the corridor that led to the mess hall when she heard some soft voices talking in the opposite direction. All joes were in the mess hall, leaving the military police to guard base. Scarlett headed towards the voices to investigate. She heard some giggling and the voices got louder as she continued down the corridor. She turned the corner and found Diva and Falcon wrapped up in each other. Falcon was trying desperartely to open the door to a storage closet as he continued to kiss and caress Diva. Scarlett cleared her thoat and the two jumped.

"Scarlett!" Falcon cried startled. Diva looked down at her shoes.

"I believe we're all supposed to be at dinner…" Scarlett raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, um, see…I lost something and Diva was helping me look for it." Falcon fibbed.

"Looks like she was doing a great job of searching your mouth with her tongue." Scarlett answered back with a smile, amused by Falcon's lame excuse. Falcon lowered his head and Scarlett could see a hint of red color his cheeks. "Come on, let's go back to dinner." Scarlett waved them both to come with her.

"We're so embarrassed. We're sorry." Diva apologized for both of them.

"It's alright. Just be glad I found you rather than Hawk." Scarlett replied.

"or my brother…" Falcon added.

"Duke wouldn't punish you." Scarlett shook her head.

"You don't think so?" Falcon asked with wide eyes.

"Nah, we did enough sneaking around together. It would be bad karma if he punished you." Scarlett answered, her heart feeling a twinge of bittersweetness as she remembered the beginning of her relationship with Duke. They re-entered the mess hall to find dinner was just being served. Diva and Scarlett filled Allison in on what had happened outside with Duke and what had happened with Falcon in the corridor.

The night was coming to a close and all the joes were full of good conversation and good food, thanks to Roadblock. Scarlett and Allison were saying their good byes when Dash approached them.

"A few people are going to Lucky's to continue the celebration. Do you want to go?" Dash asked his wife. Lucky's was a local bar that the joes liked to frequent on their time off.

"I think I'll pass this time. I want to catch up with the girls." Allison answered glaring at Flint. Flint caught on to her facial expression.

"Scarlett you could come too…I didn't mean…." Dash continued to put his foot in his mouth. It hadn't occurred to him that Scarlett wasn't invited.

"It's alright, Dash. Please, don't feel bad." Scarlett forgave him.

"Is it alright if I go?" Dash asked his wife.

"Just don't drink too much. We have to drive back to Washington in the morning." Allison reminded him. He gave her a quick kiss and walked back over to where Duke was standing.

"Let's get out of here." Diva suggested. The two other women nodded and they left to continue the gossip fest.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days after the dinner, Duke had scheduled his first one on one meeting with Scarlett to discuss the chain of command. While waiting for her to get to his office, he kept readjusting trinkets on his desk to calm his nerves. He hoped the meeting would run smoothly and no problems would arise, especially since they declared a truce. There was a knock on the door.

"Come," he commanded noting her punctuality.

"Lt. Hauser," she addressed with a salute.

"Scarlett, you can call me Duke." he acknowledged as he saluted her back.

"Yes, Lt. Hauser." She quipped emphasizing the word lieutenant. Duke sighed with frustration and ran a hand through his hair. He hoped the whole meeting wasn't going to be confrontational, but he had a feeling things were only going to get worse. They both sat down facing each other with Duke's desk in between them.

"I want to thank you for coming in, Scarlett. This won't take long. I know you have a few meetings on your schedule this afternoon, but I wanted to get together and discuss a few personnel shifts." Duke informed her of the agenda.

"Of course, Lt. Hauser," she nodded very subserviently. She studied his face and watched him grit his teeth, knowing the formal addressing was getting under his skin.

"I know Beach Head is your current second in command, but I was thinking it may be time for a change in that position." Duke pulled a file out from his lower desk drawer.

"What?" Scarlett cried in disbelief.

"Nothing against Beach Head, but I had always thought Roadblock would be a great second in command. He's got the leadership and the team respects him greatly. So I am thinking we may make a change there and make Roadblock your second in command." Duke added flipping through the file.

"With all due respect, Beach Head's my second in command and I'd like to keep it like that, Lieuteniant." Scarlett argued.

"I thought you and Roadblock were on good terms? " Duke asked lifitng his eyes from the paperwork to her face.

"We are. This isn't a 'personal' thing, Lieutenant. This is a matter of being loyal to a soldier who's had my back the last few years. Beach Head may be gruff, but he's diligent and I trust him to do his best for me and the team. I'm sure Roadblock would do great, but I don't see any reason to change." Scarlett countered.

"Well I know Hawk probably gave Beach Head the promotion because of rank and time." Duke mused thinking about the two candidates for second in command.

"Actually, I chose Beach Head over several other choices." Scarlett informed Duke. She watched as his eyes narrowed. Clearly he was annoyed that Hawk let her have a vote for who became second in command.

"I see" Duke replied picking up some papers and straightening them.

"You don't approve of my choice?" Scarlett asked blatantly.

"No, I don't. Roadblock has been here longer and has strong leadership qualities. Beach Head needs some lessons in people management." Duke frankly stated. If Scarlett was itching for a fight, he'd give her a knock down drag out one.

"Maybe you're right, Lieutenant, to question my choice. I mean if you take a look at my last romantic relationship, it doesn't show a real great example of my judgment." Scarlett snarled in a voice laced with hatred.

"Well, I'm sure he questions his judgement too. Probably not one of his finer moments getting involved with a psychotic redhead." Duke responded rising out of his chair.

"Oh, so we are resorting to name calling?" Scarlett furiously stood up.

"We could. I can easily come up with several more choice phrases to describe you." Duke smuggly answered.

"Hmm, and I just have one for you." Scarlett retorted and stuck up her middle finger in his direction as she opened the door. . She noticed a lot of joes were in Duke's waiting room, most likely spying and taking bets on who would survive the meeting.

"No, thanks, I already had some." Duke responded to her gesture, unaware they had an audience.

"Eat shit!" Scarlett responded to his comment. She turned towards the spying joes and demanded, "Get back to work!" She continued walking out of the office. The joes turned toward Duke who retreated back into his office and slammed the door.

Damn that woman! How could she be so aggressive and down right rude when he could easily slap her with insubordination? He couldn't do that though, he was just as guilty for adding fuel to the fire. She just had this way of getting under his skin and now he felt like shit for losing his temper and having the other joes who were in the waiting room witness just how aggressive and confrontational things had gotten. He concentrated on straightening up his desk again. Things had gotten knocked over and pushed out of place during the course of the argument. He went over to the top of the filing cabinent and started filing papers that had been in need of filing for several days. With the transition between Hawk and himself, no one had done it. Once the filing was completed, he felt a little better that his office was more organized. He didn't have much control over organizing his personal life, but he reveled in the fact of having complete control over his office. He sat and thought about Roadblock and Beach Head. Although he still thought Roadblock would be a great choice for second in command, Beach Head had proved himself to be worthy of the position too. Even if he did have a hard time making good repore with his fellow soldiers. A knock at the door startled him from his thoughts.

"Come," he commanded wondering who came to see him, hoping he could muster up some energy for the person. Scarlett entered looking a little tired herself. Duke sighed, she was the last person he wanted to see.

"I'm not in the mood for round two. Can we reschedule?" Duke asked warily.

"Yeah, about that. I just wanted to say I feel I was out of line, Lieuten-Duke," she corrected her way of addressing him.

"Yes, you were, but so was I. I lost my temper. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but I don't think I realized how hard it was going to be either." Duke sighed walking behind his desk and taking a seat.

"Same here, but we owe it to the team to suck it up and move forward." Scarlett sat down in the same chair she had used earlier, "which is why I'm giving you an out."

"An out?" Duke asked puzzled.

"I'm giving you a chance to ask me to step down. So you can name someone else to be first in command. I don't want our issues to affect the team as a whole." Scarlett explained rationally.

"No" Duke firmly shook his head.

"No. what?" Scarlett asked wanting him to clarify his statement.

"No, I don't want someone else being first in command. You are the best choice for top kick. You were a good second in command and you have always been a good team leader. The others look to you for leadership and find it. That's what I need in my first officier." Duke dismissed all ideas of someone replacing her.

"Are you sure? I want to do what's best for the team. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to step down, but the decision is yours." Scarlett gave him another chance to change his mind.

"You're the best. How could I settle for something less than that?" Duke again dismissed the idea.

"Thank you, Duke. I try to honor and serve this team to the fullest of my abilities." Scarlett acknowledged his compliment.

"And I've been thinking about Beach Head. Although he's not my first choice for second in command, he's being doing a pretty good job at it so far. I don't think it would be fair to demote him when he's been performing at an above satisfactory level." Duke replied as a peace offering.

"I also think you're suggestion for Roadblock to be second in command would be a fine change as well. I wouldn't hesitate at the change." Scarlett added showing her change of heart as well.

"I don't think it's necessary to shake up the troops right now. We'll leave the chain of command as it stands." Duke decided. Scarlett nodded in agreement. "I guess that's all then. Thank you for meeting with me, and coming back." Scarlett saluted and left his office.

As she entered her quarters, she was immediately attacked by Falcon and Diva. They swarmed around her like bees attracted to honey.

"We heard that you and Duke exploded at your meeting!" Diva exclaimed obviously wanting details.

"Is it true you flipped my brother off?" Falcon asked wanting details as well.

"Wow, news sure travels fast around here." Scarlett commented as Diva and Falcon practically salivated for details.

"So what happened?" Diva asked.

"We just started pushing each other's buttons until there was no turning back. It got really out of hand at one point and I left. I was half way back here when I finally got off my high horse and went back to his office to try and work things out. We're both too stubborn for our own good and we know how each other ticks." Scarlett explained without giving too much detail about the actual argument.

"So what now?" Diva asked concerned about her roommate.

"Now, we try to focus on the team and do what is best for everyone, even if it means bending over backwards for each other." Scarlett sighed thinking of the long road ahead of her.

"Did you flip off my brother?" Falcon asked again.

"Falcon, I do not condone flipping off a commanding officier. You should always be respectful." Scarlett lectured.

"So you did." Falcon assumed by her indirect answer.

"I did, but he deserved it." Scarlett grinned. Falcon nodded his head with satisfaction that the rumor was true.

Just then Scarlett's beeper went off, vibrating against her waist. "Shoot, its Duke. I have to take this." She informed them before dashing into her bedroom for privacy.

"So what do you want to do now?" Falcon asked a little disappointed that the gossiping session was over.

"Oh, I can think of a few things..." Diva trailed off taking his hand and leading him towards her bedroom.

"I really hope they're the same things I'm thinking about." Falcon prayed as Diva pulled him inside and shut the door.

Scarlett emerged from her room after getting off the phone with Duke. He was sending her on an assignment and she had to pick an away team ASAP. She scanned the room for Diva and Falcon and was a bit confused that they had disappeared so quickly. Her attention was drawn to Diva's bedroom door after hearing shuffling noises and giggling coming from behind it.

"Just like the old days." Scarlett sighed with a faint smile at the déjà vu feeling. She had spent many nights clutching her pillow over her head to try and drown out noise from Allison and Dash. She knocked on Diva's door and had to stifle a laugh when Diva answered looking disheveled.

"This better be good!" Diva exclaimed tight lipped.

"I'm sorry for interupting. I just wanted to let you know I'm going on assignment for at least a few days." Scarlett informed her roommate.

"Oh, ok. Be safe." Diva replied very appriciative of the heads up.

"Always. Have fun." Scarlett winked.

"I plan on it." Diva answered with a grin and closed the door.

Scarlett grabbed her hastily packed duffle bag and departed for Duke's office.

When she got there, the door to Duke's office was open as an invitation for her to walk right in.

"Have you put together a team?" Duke asked when she arrived.

"Yes. My team will consist of Ace, Slip Stream, Wild Bill, Roadblock, Gung Ho, Beach Head, Rock and Roll, Sci Fi, and Mainframe." Scarlett revealed.

"Sounds like a solid team. Did you get the latest intel from Dial Tone and Mainframe?" Duke checked. Scarlett pulled out a map and unfolded it.

"Yes, we tracked down their refeuling port to this area here in lower-state." Scarlett pointed on the map, "It takes a ton of diesel so it wasn't too hard to find it."

"Same as always. Do you have enough backup for this?" Duke inquired as he studied the map.

"We should. If we're timing things right, we'll get to them when the air-ship is still hard-docked to the ground for re-fueling. It should be a cakewalk to take it out." Scarlett calculated.

"It should be, but sometimes things get sticky. Put a second team of Conquests on station just in case you need help. No telling how well protected they'll have it." Duke mused.

"Will do. Anything else, Lieutenant?" Scarlett asked making sure everything was covered.

"No, just do it. And give Tomax and Xamot a headache picking up the insurance premium." Duke scowled at the thought of the enemy.

Scarlett nodded and gathered her papers to go and mobilize her team. She and Duke stood up signaling the end of the meeting.

"Oh, there is one more thing," Duke blurted right before she left the office.

"Yes, Duke?" Scarlett asked turning around.

"Be careful and come back safe." Duke counseled with a glimmer of worry. A silent moment passed between the two, both of them knowing the comment had just a bit more meaning than what was on the surface.

"Understood," Scarlett nodded and flashed him a soft smile before exiting.


	7. Chapter 7

Scarlett and her team arrived back to base relieved to have stopped yet another Cobra master plan. They were in the main hanger unloading the supplies from the mission as well as making sure the vehicles and jets were returned to their rightful spots. They were in good spirits, due to the success of their mission. Many other Joes had come to the main hanger to congratulate the team and hear stories about what had gone down.

Scarlett finished checking in the artillery and turned around to see Duke standing with the other members of the team. She quickly ran over to join them.

"Welcome home, Joes. Good job as always." Duke congratulated the team. The teammates cheered and some patted Scarlett on the shoulders for being a great leader. Scarlett smiled softly at the compliment. Duke directed his attention towards Scarlett, "Can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Sure," Scarlett replied and followed Duke a few feet away from the others, "I'll have a full report for you in a bit after I go over things," she said predicting what Duke was going to ask her.

"That's fine, though I do have a pressing question." Duke firmly spoke with his hands behind his back.

"What's that?" Scarlett asked concerned. She looked over at the rest of her team who were giving each other worried looks.

"Well, I'd like to know why 5 Conquest X30s left and 4 came back?" Duke inquired.

"We lost Slip Stream's ride. That turned the battle for us. Cobra's new air battle platform was pretty tough, but Slip Stream took it out." Scarlett tucked a loose piece of her mane behind her ear as she explained.

"How? By ramming his plane into it?" Duke asked incrediously.

"Admitedly it wasn't the first idea I had, but it worked." Scarlett replied unsure of where Duke was taking this.

"Do you have any idea how much those planes cost?" Duke continued. Scarlett froze for a minute. Cost? Duke was concerned about cost? Since when? She blinked, wondering if Duke was for real. She could feel the eyes of her away team focusing on her. This was not a conversation to have in front of them. He should have asked her into his office so they could talk about this one on one. Her blood began to boil thinking about how unprofessional he was being by reprimanding her in front of her troops.

"No, I haven't actually been keeping the blue book prices on them in my head. You know how it is, you drive them off the lot and they lose 10% automatically." Scarlett replied putting her hands on her hips.

"You lost more than 10% on that one. That was a multi-billion dollar airplane the tax payers lent us and now we don't have it anymore. That probably wasn't one of your best strategies." Duke full out exploded.

"You know Lt. Hauser, I'm not sure it was the best either, but it worked. I brought my team home safe and Cobra lost way more- including their new battle platform. If memory serves, defeating Cobra is the mission objective." Scarlett firmly stood her ground.

"We've got to keep the bottom line in mind too. We don't have infinite resources." Duke reminded her sternly.

"A certain Sgt. Hauser once said that as long as Cobra lost at the end of the day and his team came home safe, he didn't give a damn what got destroyed because we'd always get another one. I also remember Sgt Hauser crashing several jets on his own and with Ace. The phrase '5 in one week equals a new record' rings a bell." Scarlett retorted.

"We're not debating my record. We're discussing your judgement call that destroyed a piece of equipment and potentially put a team member in jeopardy." Duke narrowed his eyes.

"Listen here, Lieutenant, at no time did I dismiss the risk to Slip Stream. I knew the risk. He knew the risk. It was a calculated one that paid off. We're soldiers; we're trained to do this job. Maybe you've forgotten that little fact behind that desk upstairs." Scarlett continued to defend her actions.

"You're out of line!" Duke barked

"And you're coloring outside yours!" Scarlett barked back.

"I'm the commanding officer of this team, and I'm demanding you to respect that." Duke brought his voice back to a normal reserved level.

"Why don't you give me something to respect then, besides hot air dressed up in officer's clothing?" Scarlett challenged, linking her eyes with his.

"That's it! I won't have that tone!" Duke pointed at her in disgrace.

"You'll have that tone and then some. Now, if you don't mind, I have a report to fill out and a team to debrief—although I'm sure they got an earful since they're standing right here. If you happen to see Sgt Hauser somewhere in your office, tell him he needs to remind you what it means to be a GI Joe." Scarlett replied getting in his face. Duke took a few steps back feeling speechless. Satisfied, she spun around and began to walk out of the hanger.

"You're not walking away from me!" he yelled.

Scarlett craned her head around to look at him, "Get used to this view because yes, I am." She turned her head back letting her ponytail whip around.

Duke stormed over to her and grabbed her arm, "That's an order, soldier. Stand down." He hissed.

She glared at his hand on her arm and then shot a cold look to his eyes, "You're my commanding officer, but so help me if you do not remove your hand I'll remove it for you, Hauser. Nothing gives you the right to talk to me the way you did back there," she spoke in a calm fashion, icicles dripping off each of her words. He dropped his hand but still stood agressively.

"These give me every right!" Duke pointed at his new luitenant bars on his uniform.

"Those give you the right to lead this team. You should take a lesson from Hawk in how to manage things. No heavy hands. No dress downs. And if you want to get upset about being talked to in a certain way, you basically just dressed me down in front of my team and said I threw their saftey to the wind. I did not do that!" Scarlett analyzed the argument that had just taken place. She felt emotionally exhausted and knew she couldn't keep her cool much longer. "I thought we were going to try and work together. But if you're going to rip me a new one every chance you get….I don't see the point of continuing the façade that everything will be ok. Everything is not ok! And I'm sorry I yelled back but I've worked too hard to just let you walk all over me." Tears pricked her eyes signaling a breakdown was coming soon. "I have to go," she muttered and quickly exited the hanger without waiting for Duke's permission. Duke lowered his gaze to the floor, letting her words sink in.

"Duke we're sorry about the jet." Slip Stream apologized after an awkward pause of silence. Duke jerked his head towards the voice, forgetting that the team was still standing there.

"Soldiers, you're dismissed." Duke commanded not offering any words to the apology. The team slipped out, leaving Duke alone. He ran his hands through his hair disgusted by how he handled the situation and by her attitude. The team was definitely headed for failure if they both continued to act in this fashion. He quickly turned and punched the closest thing to him, a tool chest, leaving a dent in the side. His anger began to subside and his head cleared. Last time she had made an effort to resolve things by coming back to his office, now it was his turn to extend the olive branch.

He kept a brisk pace to Scarlett's quarters hoping to catch her there. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Several moments passed and he knocked again. Still no answer. He turned to leave when the door opened to Scarlett wearing a bathrobe. Her hair was wild and loose around her face.

"I was just about to take a bath," she said explaining the change in wardrobe.

"I just want to talk." Duke tried to persuade her to let him in. She sighed in annoyance and let the door swing open, her agreement for him to come in. He entered, closing the door behind him. She stood before him with her hands on her hips, waiting for him to say something.

"You kind of nailed my balls to the wall in the hanger." Duke complained.

"You didn't do too much better to me, you know. I led those people. I've got to keep some kind of authority. If you had questions about what I did and why I did it; that should have been handled in private." Scarlett fumed.

"Yes, I should have." Duke agreed. Duke's honest answer had caught her off guard. She folded her arms in front of her chest, wary of his intentions.

"I felt humiliated back there. Like a child being scolded." Scarlett said with a wounded look on her face.

"Why is it so easy for us to take the low road filled with verbal landmines?" Duke sighed frustrated at the situation.

"Because we have history. We know exactly what to do and say to hurt each other and I'll admit it, I've exploited that, and on some levels enjoyed it." Scarlett honestly answered lowering her arms.

"Me too, and we're both wrong for doing that." Duke frowned. He raised his eyes to meet hers and saw her nod in agreement, "So how do we fix this?"

"We need to trust each other and stop making accusations based on the personal feelings we have. If we continue to tear each other down, the team is going to get torn apart too." Scarlett replied sullenly. They both looked at each other struggling with the idea of having to trust each other after all this time. Scarlett's eyes burned through Duke and he dropped his gaze as if he had been staring directly at the sun.

"I don't know if I can…." Duke spoke with a clenched jaw. Scarlett pulled his arm with a jerk which got him to look at her again.

"You're going to have to trust in my judgement and my capablities, just like Hawk trusts in you. You've got to know that I have this team's best interest at heart and that is the sole motivational factor in my decisions. If you can't believe that, if you can't trust in that, there is no way to get around this." Scarlett pleaded with him.

"You've got to believe the same about me. I may not be on the field as much as I want, but I'm still fighting for this team behind that desk. It's a different battle, but I do what is good for the team." Duke countered her plea with one of his own.

"I'm willing to try if you are." Scarlett said willingly.

"So are we going to try this truce again?" Duke asked extending his hand for her to shake on it.

"No, this time it's a promise." Scarlett vowed and shook his hand forcefully. She met Duke's eyes and could feel that he was just as fueled by determination as she was to make this work.

"I'll let you get back to your bath now." Duke said as he headed towards the door.

"Sure, now that the water's cold." Scarlett pretended to sulk.

"It could be worse. You could still be on the mission with no bath." Duke reminded her.

"Thank you, Mr. Glass-is-Half-Full." Scarlett mocked as she shooed him out. She closed the door behind him and sighed. Hopefully, they would preach and practice what they promised from now on.


	8. Chapter 8

Months had passed since Duke and Scarlett had vowed to make an effort to work better with each other. They still had their struggles, but for the most part, were a very productive and professional duo. Their strategies where always meticulous down to the last detail.

Duke and Scarlett were about to close another strategy meeting when Duke, for the first time, brought up something not work related Scarlett had noticed he had been a little preoccupied during the meeting, but she didn't have the place, or the right, to pry.

"So, are you going to the Fairborne's Christmas party?" Duke asked while straightening up papers on his desk.

"Oh, um, I don't know. Are you?" Scarlett asked tentatively.

"I was thinking about it." Duke tapped his desk with his fingers.

"Yeah, me too." Scarlett replied curtly not sure she wanted to continue this conversation.

"Well, uh, if you are….and I am…maybe we should take one car instead of wasting gas?" Duke suggested feeling Scarlett out on the idea.

Scarlett cocked her head in a puzzled manner. Duke had never shown an interest in wanting to spend extra time with her, not that she necessarily wanted to spend extra time with him either. The trip to Virginia was several hours, which easily could turn into quite a few uncomfortable and awkward hours. Scarlett envisioned numerous scenarios which would leave her miserable by the time she got to the party and worse yet she'd have to subject herself to the misery again on the ride back.

"Maybe." Scarlett shrugged before bidding good bye.

Weeks passed and the trees were now all bare with the wind picking up a bitter chill, reminding everyone that snow was not far off. She really hadn't thought anymore about the conversation she had with Duke at the last strategy meeting. Duke hadn't brought it up again, so she assumed he decided not to go. She was in the motor pool and just put her bag in the trunk of the rental car. She was excited for the party and to see Allie, Dash, and little James. She jumped with surprise when Duke came up next to her.

"You decided to go?" Duke asked with surprise.

"Yes, I'm just about to leave." Scarlett answered.

"Me too. I'm all gassed up and ready to go. Did you want to catch a ride? I don't mind." Duke offered again. Scarlett wanted to refuse, but it really didn't make sense to take two cars to the same place. She agreed, slowly nodding her head. Before she realized it, Duke had already put her bag in his trunk and was showing her to the passenger side.

"Wait, who decided you were going to drive?" Scarlett broke out of the fog.

"You're not driving my car." Duke shook his head.

"We could take the rental. I want to drive." Scarlett demanded wanting more control of the situation.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Duke suggested to solve the argument. The two began to play the infamous game, with Duke being triumphant with rock to her scissors. She scowled and slid into the car, securing her seatbelt. Duke slid into the driver's side and secured his seatbelt.

"Besides, did you actually think I was going to let you drive after I was a first hand witness to you driving on the wrong side of the road on an exit ramp?" Duke teased as they pulled out of the motor pool.

Scarlett turned sharply to face him, "I told you. They changed the traffic pattern." She defended her driving habits. She tried to hold a stern look, but Duke's amused expression made her smile softly.

As they drove on, Duke concentrated on the road and she on the scenery out the window. She crossed her legs and uncrossed her legs at least a hundred times, feeling restless. The radio was on but the station was fading out as they continued south. Scarlett began to play with the buttons trying to scan for another station when the radio suddenly shut off. Scarlett pulled her hand away like she had been burnt. She hoped she hadn't broken his radio.

"The wires are messed up and sometimes they short out. I meant to have someone look at it on base before leaving, but forgot to." Duke told her. Scarlett looked at her watch, they were only about half of the way there. Her eyes tried to glance at Duke without him realizing that she was looking at him. He was wearing a green long sleeve shirt and khakis. Since his return, she had only seen him in a uniform and it was a bit refreshing to see him in something different. She wondered if he thought the same about her. She was wearing a navy blue sweater with jeans.

The new silence irritated Scarlett. At least with the radio there had been some distracting noise. This is what she had feared…awkwardness. Scarlett wondered if Duke felt the anxiety she was feeling. Scarlett cracked the window a bit to get some air.

"Remember the time we went to Atlantic City?" Duke asked out of the blue.

"When we were upgraded to a suite? How could I forget?" Scarlett reminisced.

"And then had to leave because some of our friends were misbehaving." Duke continued to share the memory.

"We actually received a letter asking us not to come back to the hotel. Shipwreck has it framed in his quarters." Scarlett added. "What made you think of that?"

"I don't know. It just popped into my head. I've missed doing stuff like that." Duke replied concentrating on the road.

"How about golf? You still play?" Scarlett asked as they passed a golf course.

"Clubs are in the trunk." Duke replied/

"Always prepared…" Scarlett murmured softly still staring out the window.

"Did you forget I was a Boy Scout?" Duke smirked.

Scarlett felt the tension slip away and she was beginning to feel more comfortable sharing the ride. Duke continued to make light conversation and she felt at ease with the conversations. They spent the rest of the trip reminiscing and catching up.

"Here we are." Duke announced pulling up to the curb to park. After the engine was turned off, they both exited the car. Duke went around to the trunk and retrieved his and Scarlett's overnight bags. They both walked up the stone path to the front door of the Fairborne residence.

Duke knocked and seconds later the door flung open with Allie greeting them with James in her arms.

"Shana, Conrad…wow, what a coincidence that you got here the same exact time!" Allie gushed at what she thought was an awkward moment. She gave each of them a one armed hug.

"We actually came together," Duke revealed but then realized how that sounded, "I mean we didn't come together-together. I mean, we just drove together. I mean, we came in the same car.", he finally sputtered out. Allie raised her eyebrow at both of them. "I'm going to find Dash." Duke ducked out of the messy conversation. He pushed past Allie into the house. Scarlett entered with Allie closing the door behind her. She set James down who waddled around on his own.

"So you guys came together?" Allie repeated hinting that there was more to it than that.

"You make it sound like it's so much more than it is," Scarlett scrunched her nose, "We were both leaving the base at the same time and Duke suggested we take one car."

"And so you just both got into the same car without any arguments?" Allie asked astonished.

"Well, we did argue about who would drive, but we 'rock-paper-scissored' it out." Scarlett admitted.

"Are you telling me that you got into a car and drove several hours with the man you've spent the past few months cursing at and flipping off? And you did this according to your own fee will?" Lady Jaye asked in shock.

"It didn't make sense to take two separate cars to the same place. And it wasn't that bad, it was actually nice. We had fun remembering old times." Scarlett admitted.

"Well, I'm glad it turned out nice. Dash and I were hoping you two would eventually get along." Allie smiled. The two women stood guard over James as he continued to walk around without any real direction. They entered the living room to find many party-goers already infatuated in conversations.

"James and the other kids will only be here for a couple hours and then they are going away so we can have an adult party." Allie mentioned.

"Oh, so I better get my hugs and kisses in is what you're telling me." Scarlett smiled picking up the small boy and coddled him. For a brief moment she thought about her miscarriage and how this easily could have been a moment shared between her and her own child. She bounced up and down with James and spun around with him, smiling at his adorable happy expression. She happened to look up and see Duke staring at her, his eyes fixated on her giving her the unmistakenable sense that he was thinking the exact same thing she was. Duke shifted his glance another direction and Scarlett put James down as if it was suddenly taboo to be holding him.

Soon more and more people entered the Fairborne residence and the party got into full swing. It wasn't long before the children were whisked away and the adults got a chance to let their hair down. Scarlett recognized some people as relatives of Allie or Dash, but many were new faces. The guests she met were impressed she was in the army and were amazed by some of the stories she told.

Scarlett often found herself in the kitchen helping Allie with refreshing trays of food and bowls of punch.

"Are you having a good time?" Allie asked as she cut up more wedges of cheese.

"Yeah, I've met some really nice people." Scarlett nodded as she poured more chips into a snack bowl.

"Duke gets first dibs at this. Could you bring it out to him?" Allie asked after arranging pepperoni slices with the cheese.

"Sure." Scarlett agreed, picking up the platter. She stepped out into the living room where most of the guests were gathered but she didn't see Duke there. She continued out into the foyer but didn't see him out there either. She heard a voice come from the dinning room and went to see if Duke was in there. She entered the room to find Duke and Dash standing with their backs towards her.

"And she didn't tell you?" Dash asked in an astonished tone.

"No, I found out from Doc. Talk about a kick in the balls." Duke spoke.

"I just can't believe it. Scarlett was pregnant and didn't tell you." Dash shook his head in disbelief.

Scarlett froze catching on to their conversation, her heart dropping into her stomach. Why would Duke tell Dash their business? Especially now? She backed out of the room feeling dizzy and nauseous, dropping the tray of food in the doorway. She clutched her heart as the painful memories resurfaced. Her breathing became labored as she felt her lungs struggle for oxygen. After regaining control to move her body, she quickly darted to the kitchen to find Allie.

"What's wrong?" Allie asked concerned after seeing Scarlett's condition.

"I, um, don't feel well. I think I'm going to call it a night and lay down." Scarlett fibbed.

"Oh, ok. You know which room is yours. I already put your bag in there." Allie replied feeling sorry for her friend. Scarlett nodded and headed towards the room she's always stayed in when visiting her friends.

Once secured inside, she slid down the door sobbing over Duke's betrayal. She choked on her tears, causing her to cough and gasp for air. How could Duke do this? Why would he bring up such a painfully tragic story and broadcast it?

"He hasn't changed at all." Scarlett whimpered to herself, bringing on a fresh batch of tears scolding herself for giving in so easily to coming to the party together. Before she had walked in on the conversation, the possibility of Duke and her becoming friends had briefly danced through her mind. She tossed that thought overboard with an anchor, letting it sink to the deepest places of her mind and heart. She looked at the bed wishing she could crawl inside and magically be transported back to Joe base. How was she going to endure the car ride home with him? Her vision blurred through more tears and she decided bed would be the best place to be. She quickly changed into her night clothes and climbed into the bed with silent streams of tears still flowing.

Scarlett fluttered her eyes open and saw sunlight peaking through the blinds. She felt as if she had just put her head down on the pillow. She glanced at the clock seeing nine hours had passed. Her eyes felt crusty from all the sadness that had poured out of her the night before. She changed and went through her morning routine. She had decided to pack up her stuff and tidy up the room when there was a knock. She opened it to find her betrayer standing before her.

"I was just seeing if you were up. Dash and Allie are making breakfast." Duke informed her. She narrowed her eyes and turned away from him. How could he just stand there pretending like everything was okay?

"Ok. I'll be down in a few minutes." Scarlett quipped shoving things in her bag.

"I was looking for you last night, but Allie told me you got sick. Are you feeling better?" Duke asked concerned.

"I'm fine!" she snapped as she zipped up her bag. She turned to face him and watched as he backed away and walked off. He had gotten the message to leave her alone loud and clear. She took a deep breath and let it out before trailing behind Duke to the kitchen.

"Shana, how are you feeling?" Allie asked when she entered the room.

"I'm fine. Sorry to bail on the party." Scarlett apologized taking the empty seat. Allie placed a cup of coffee in front of her along with a plate of pancakes.

"I checked on you about an hour after you went upstairs and you were out cold." Allie told her.

"Yeah, as soon as I went upstairs I just crashed. Must have been overly tired or something." Scarlett fibbed. She took a sip of coffee and a few bites of the pancakes.

"Or maybe your CO is working you to hard. All work and no play makes Red grumpy." Dash tried to joke, "You're not working her too hard are you, Con?"

"No, everything is fine." Scarlett spoke with an annoyed tone to her voice. She didn't have to look up to know the others were looking at each other. They ate in silence for a bit, not sure if they should speak.

"So when do you have to be back at base?" Dash asked breaking the silence.

"Unfortunately, the sooner the better. I'm hoping to leave right after breakfast. If that's alright with you?" Duke asked her. She nodded without looking up, continuing to take bites of the pancakes.

While the others talked among themselves, Scarlett was in her own world thinking about the previous night and the raging feelings inside her. Her head swirled with questions about why Duke decided to tell Dash everything. The sound of chairs moving brought her attention back and she noticed everyone was done eating and cleaning up.

"Are you sure you're alright? You seem a little off today." Allie asked her friend quietly so the men wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I'm a little edgy. I still don't feel all that well." Scarlett smiled half heartedly.

"If you need to stay a little longer, I'm sure Duke wouldn't mind waiting." Allie offered.

Scarlett laughed inside. Waiting would just make everything worse, "No, I'll be fine. I'll sleep in the car."

Scarlett and Allie walked to the front door together; the men had disappeared. They hugged tightly with promises of keeping in touch.

"I took the liberty of getting your bag." Duke announced coming into the foyer with both his bag and hers.

"Thanks," she barely mustered. Dash entered the foyer and the four friends said their final farewells. Scarlett walked with a hurried pace to the car, leaving Duke behind. She slid into the passenger seat and mentally prepared herself for the long trip home. She felt Duke throw the bags in the back and close the trunk. He slid into the driver's side and put on his seatbelt. He started the engine and began to drive down the road.

"What in the blue blazes is wrong with you?" Duke asked calling her out on her attitude.

"Nothing," Scarlett sulked turning to look out the window.

"Nothing, my ass! You won't even look at me. What is going on?" Duke replied getting annoyed.

"What part of nothing don't you understand? Oh, I forgot, understanding is not your strong suit." Scarlett insulted.

"So we're back to this again? For Heaven's sake." Duke grumbled with frustration.

"Don't talk to me!" Scarlett warningly interrupted.

"You know yesterday I thought…I felt…It was nice thinking back on old times with you." Duke finished his statement, "And now it's like we're back at day one and I'm getting off the chopper!"

"Perhaps you should have stayed on it," she grumbled.

"Maybe I should have put you on it and called it a day." Duke retorted nastily.

"I tell you what; keep your mouth shut about our private business and you won't _ever_ have to be bothered with me on a personal level again." Scarlett seethed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Duke asked thrown by her comeback.

"Last night. You and Dash were in the dining room talking. I heard you." Scarlett revealed. Duke looked startled for a moment but regained his composure quickly.

"So? Dash brought up the past and I wanted to tell him what happened. It's partially my business and I have a right to tell it to whomever I please!" Duke defended himself.

"You're right. It is _partially _your business. It's also _partially_ mine. Once again you made a decision that affects both of us without at least asking if I would be alright with it!" she exclaimed glaring at him.

""Here you come riding the moral high horse. I think that horse is going to throw you off considering the secret you kept." Duke snidely remarked.

"How could I have given my heart to a bastard like you?" Scarlett hissed continuing to glare at him.

"That's classic coming from such a selfish bitch." Duke snarled. His words stung her like a slap on the cheek. She hoped her words had hurt him just as much, if not more. She folded her arms in front of her and decided that as soon as they got back to the base, she was as good as gone.

They rode in silence for quite awhile with Scarlett nodding off every once in awhile, dreaming of transfer papers. She would jerk awake to find Duke fiddling with something in the car, probably trying to disturb her rest on purpose. She had just nodded off again when she heard Duke curse.

"What is it?" she asked annoyed.

"The road's closed. We have to take a detour." Duke answered frustrated. He turned onto a more rugged path, following the arrows. Scarlett huffed at the bumpiness of the new road.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Scarlett asked after they had traveled a bit of a distance without seeing another car.

"It's the way the arrow was pointing." Duke answered annoyed that she would ask such a question.

"I know, but doesn't it seem odd…" Scarlett started when suddenly out of nowhere Cobra vehicles began to assault the car. Lasers were firing all around them.

"Hang on!" Duke commanded taking evasive action. He managed to slip through more laser beams.

"That was close!" Scarlett replied whipping her head around to see what was coming up behind them

"Reach under your seat. There's a Colt stashed." Duke commanded. Scarlett reached down and retrieved the gun. She rolled down the window and took a few shots at any vehicles that were close enough.

"This isn't looking good." Duke grimaced weaving back and forth to avoid gun fire.

"I'll contact base so they know we're under fire." Scarlett flipped open her communicator.

"Scarlett! Brace yourself!" Duke cried as the rear tires blew out, sending the car into a serious spin. Scarlett screamed when she saw they were headed straight for a line of trees. She was able to communicate "9-1-1" with base just before the car smashed into a tree trunk and her world went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

Scarlett could feel her body being shaken gently. She could hear a voice, but it was muddled. Her mind felt woozy. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Duke kneeling over her looking concerned. In a flash she remembered the Cobra attack and the car accident. She began to sit herself up.

"Scarlett, you ok?" Duke asked worried.

"Ugh, I feel like I was used as a bowling ball." she complained clutching her head. She took a good look at her surroundings to find she and Duke were captive in a Cobra jail cell. Instead of metal bars, high voltage energy beams kept the two team members enclosed. Scarlett guessed you could fry a tanker with the amount of energy pulsating in them.

"It could have been a lot worse." Duke commented. He was amazed that both he and Scarlett not only survived the crash, but with no major injuries to boot.

"What happened?" Scarlett asked wondering how they got to this place.

"I blacked out when we hit the tree too. I'm guessing Cobra captured us and brought us here while we were unconscious. I woke up just a few minutes before you." Duke replied as he scanned the cell for anything they could use to escape. They heard a set of doors hiss open and they turned around to find Cobra Commander and Zartan walking towards them.

"Ah, Scarlett, Duke, you're finally awake. Now I can formally welcome you to my Kingdom of Terror." Cobra Commander greeted them.

"You won't get away with this, Snake Breath! Our team is going to get suspicious when we don't arrive back to base!" Duke exclaimed.

"That's where you're wrong, Duke. I had Zartan impersonate Colonel Sharp and inform your teammates that you and Scarlett are on an assignment…indefinitely." Cobra Commander and Zartan laughed at his skillful plan.

"Can't come up with something new, Zartan? Have to resort to your old tricks?" Scarlett challenged coldly. Zartan lowered the energy field long enough to grab Scarlett and turn it back on again. He dragged her across the room and pinned her to the wall smiling as she struggled.

"Commander, can I have some time alone with this tigress? I like them feisty." Zartan asked thoroughly enjoying the site before him. His expression showed everyone what his intentions were with the red head.

"You keep your hands off of her!" Duke growled.

Zartan laughed, "And just what do you think you can do to me when I'm out here and you're in there." He ran a finger down the side of Scarlett's cheek. She pulled her head as far away from it as possible. "I've been alone for a long time, love. I bet you'll make for excellent company." Scarlett replied by spitting in his face. "You ignorant, ungrateful slut!" Zartan shouted as he slapped her brutally across the face.

"Zartan, there will be time for you to deal with her later. Right now we have more pressing matters." Cobra Commander reminded him. Zartan nodded and grabbed her long locks, dragging her back to the cell. He lowered the force field and threw her in, letting the ground break her fall. Duke tried to escape when the energy was low, but Zartan turned it back on full strength quickly, spoiling Duke's attempt.

"Enjoy the time you have together. It won't be long." Cobra Commander laughed with Zartan as they left the room.

"Scarlett, are you hurt?" Duke asked kneeling beside her.

"Only my dignity." Scarlett answered getting up slowly.

"I won't let Zartan near you." Duke shook his head knowing the next time Zartan wanted her company, he'd force her to comply.

"Zartan's not going to get anywhere with me. I'll bite off his you-know-what if I have to." Scarlett spat mercilessly.

"Did you have enough time to brace yourself before the crash?" Duke asked using code language for wanting to know if Scarlett sent a message to headquarters. He was sure the Cobra leaders were listening in on them.

"Yes. There wasn't much time, but it was enough." Scarlett answered catching on to the trickery. Duke began to pace around looking up.

"What are you doing?" Scarlett asked watching him.

"Looking for a way out. There's got to be some way to get around this force field. I'd like to get out before Christmas." Duke mused.

"Christmas…" Scarlett spoke collapsing into a seated position, "…my family is expecting me to be home." Momentarily she got lost in the thoughts of holiday memories of the past.

"I know; which is why I am trying to find a way out of here." Duke replied still scanning for anything that might lead to an escape.

"What about your family? Are you going home?" Scarlett asked feeling dejected about their situation. Duke took a seat next to her after coming to terms that as of this minute they were stuck in the cell.

"No," Duke answered. This shocked Scarlett and she turned her head to face him as if to ask why, "The holidays are always a high alert time for us and both of our hometowns are too far away from base, not like the party where we were just a few hours away. Colonel Sharp demanded only one of us go home, in case something major happens."

"So you gave up your visit for me?" Scarlett asked quietly.

"I know how important spending the holidays with your family is to you." Duke answered, "How's that for a bastard?"

"Duke…" Scarlett trailed off not knowing how to respond.

"Forget it. I don't want to talk about it." Duke dismissed anything she had to say. He got up and moved to the other side of the cell. They sat silent for awhile, the hum of the energy field making the only sound.

"We're not going to get out of here unless we work together." Scarlett broke the silence. Duke nodded. "How long do you think we've been here?"

"Maybe a few hours? Cobra Commander made it sound like we were out for awhile'" Duke predicted.

"Our guys should be on the move by now." Scarlett rubbed her chin with her hand.

Duke nodded in agreement and added, "Hopefully they saw right through the phony Colonel."

At that moment the doors hissed open once again revealing Cobra Commander, this time with a bunch of guards. He approached the cell with the guards.

"This time Duke will be the one to come out and play," the commander hissed, releasing the force field. The guards pulled Duke out and the force field went back up. Duke struggled against his enemy, but there were just too many for him to take on. Scarlett watched as Cobra Commander walked in front of Duke holding a syringe in his hand.

"In this syringe is a toxin that will slowly and painfully shut down your organs. In a few hours, you'll be dead. This toxin courses through your veins like a high speed train." Cobra Commander informed Duke.

"No!" Scarlett cried desperately from the cell.

"And you," Cobra Commander turned his attention to Scarlett, "can bare witness to his demise…unless of course, you tell me the location of the Joe's communication relay," he paused waiting for a response from the female Joe. When Scarlett made no attempt to speak, Cobra Commander continued, "And if you can't, then not only will you bare witness to his suffering, you'll be the cause of it!"

"You monster!" Scarlett insulted him.

"Tell me something I don't already know," Cobra Commander sighed getting antsy to put his plan into action.

"Only a coward would poison an enemy instead of fighting it out like a man!" Scarlett spat out with hate.

"You're wasting your breath with insults; instead you should be telling me where that communication relay is." Cobra Commander responded. Scarlett narrowed her eyes at her enemy but stayed quiet. "I'm growing tired of your silence, Scarlett. Speak now or it will be too late." He placed the needle close to Duke's arm. Duke watched Scarlett wrestle with the options that lay before her. Her blood raced through their veins. She opened and closed her mouth several times.

"Scarlett! Don't you dare!" Duke barked.

"But, Duke," she protested swallowing a lump that was forming in her throat.

"You know he's lying. You tell him anything and he's going to poison me anyway." Duke reasoned.

"Scarlett, you can save his life. All you need to do is tell me about the communication relay." Cobra Commander said making it all sound so simple.

"Don't tell him a thing. That's an order!" Duke barked pulling rank.

"But," she started again trying not to let her emotions get to her.

"I SAID THAT'S AN ORDER!" Duke screamed to make his point clear.

"It's in New Mexico, near Carlsbad!" Scarlett blurted out, "I'm sorry, Duke"

"Thank you for that vital piece of information, my dear. Unfortunately, I feel you made me wait too long for it." Cobra Commander turned sour on his deal and plunged the needle into Duke's arm.

Scarlett felt all the color drain out of her face as she watched Duke writhe from the injection. An paralyzing chill fell over her body .

"You'll pay for this, Fang Features. When my team comes, and they will, they'll take revenge on you so hard you're going to wish you were dead like me." Duke promised.

"Duke… always trying to be a hero." Cobra Commander laughed, "Now that I know where your communication relay is, Cobra is unstoppable!" He pulled the syringe out when it was empty and had the guards toss Duke back into the cell. "Guards, scramble the rattlers. Tell them to head for Carlsbad, New Mexico." Cobra Commander ordered. The guards nodded and sped off on their mission. Cobra Commander began to follow behind them.

"Where are you going?" Scarlett demanded.

"You didn't think I was going to stay here when I could be destroying the communication relay, did you? I want to see the reaction when Cobra attacks." Cobra Commander replied. He punched in a code and the doors hissed opened letting him exit.

"Duke…" Scarlett focused her attention on the blond haired soldier who was having trouble getting up on his knees.

"That was some quick thinking, Scarlett. With most of their troops gone it should be a cinch for our guys to overtake the base. I just hope they get here before Cobra finds out your information was false." Duke commended her. He winced when a shooting pain overcame him.

"What's wrong?" Scarlett asked worriedly.

"I don't know. I just, ah!" Duke cried out with pain again. He slowly sat down on the ground, Scarlett following. She put her hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up." Scarlett choked on a sob.

"The toxin; it's starting to set in." Duke grunted through pain.

"Duke, what can I do? How can I help you?" Scarlett asked, trying hard to keep her tears from spilling over.

"So cold…" Duke answered softly. Scarlett instinctively wrapped her arms around him and held him close. She could feel him shiver in her arms. They sat like that for a long while. Duke began to complain about feeling hot and Scarlett let go of him.

"We've got to get out of here!" Scarlett leapt to her feet and paced about looking for an escape.

"We've already looked for an escape. We just have to wait." Duke tried to calm her down.

"I can't just wait! I don't want you to die!" Scarlett screamed dropping to her knees, finally letting the tears stream down her cheeks. Her shoulders jerked at the intensity of her sobs.

"I'm dying the most honorable way possible, from serving my country. Please, don't cry." Duke coughed and gasped for air. Besides her sobs, they both stayed quiet for a long time.

Duke stroked her cheek, wiping her tears away, "Scarlett...there's so much we should have said……." His voice raspier with every word as the toxin raced through his system

"Sshh! Save your strength…" Scarlett hushed him.

"…let our fears and tempers get the best of us….stupid…" Duke struggled.

"Conrad, stop. We'll talk about anything you want after you're well! Please, just save your strength." Scarlett tried to quiet him again.

"Where the hell are our guys? They have to get here soon to get you out of here before Cobra gets wise of our misinformation." Duke wondered, his voice weakening more each moment. His legs had already become paralyzed from the drug.

"Forget about me, we need to get you to Lifeline or Doc." Scarlett replied straining her ears to hear any sound to indicate their team had infiltrated the base.

"I could never forget about you…" Duke trailed off swallowing hard.

"Oh, Duke…" Scarlett whispered clutching his hand in her own. His pulse was weakening every minute that went by.

"I need to tell you something." Duke said, struggling to keep his eyelids open and focused on the woman kneeling next to him. He turned his head to face her.

"As much as I tried to convince myself that I hated you, I loved you." Duke replied letting his head rest against her thigh. "All those spiteful words and actions….if I could take them all back…" Duke weaved in and out of consciousness.

"Conrad..." she sobbed at his confession.

"Forgive me…" he whispered as a single tear slid down his cheek. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, hearing her own emotions mirrored in his words. He felt her tears rub against his face. Their souls melded together, finding the peace that had been missing for so long. She refused to let their lips part, as if this kiss were the only thing keeping Duke alive.

Duke coughed, tilting his head back and gasping desperately needed air. As Duke took shallow breaths, she stroked his hair trying to make him comfortable for his remaining time with her.

"Don't leave me" she begged in a whisper. She felt Duke's grip on her hand relax a bit. She shook his shoulder to keep him conscious. Suddenly she heard noises and knew it was her team. They were saved!

"Duke, they're here! We're saved!" she shook him to make him more alert. She looked down and he was totally unresponsive. She quickly checked for vital signs and was relived that he was breathing, yet it was shallow and he had a pulse, though weak.

The voices grew louder and Scarlett shouted out, hoping the team could hear her. There was an explosion and the doors blew open. Diva, Roadblock, and Beach Head entered the room with their weapons drawn.

"Scarlett!" Diva called seeing her in the cell.

"Duke's been poisoned! He's going to die! He needs Doc or Lifeline ASAP!" she cried. Beach Head blasted the control panel and the energy beams fizzled out. Gung Ho ran over to the two prisoners and hoisted Duke over his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Diva asked.

Scarlett nodded, "Please, let's just get Duke out of here."

"We didn't have to put up a fight. There were hardly any Cobras in sight." Roadblock informed them as they made their way quickly through the corridors.

"That's because I sent them on a wild goose chase to New Mexico." Scarlett replied hurrying besides the others. As they neared the entrance they all broke into a run, sprinting towards the awaiting Tomahawk. They boarded and lifted off without having any Cobras try to fight them.

Roadblock laid Duke down in the back. Scarlett kneeled down beside him, much like she had been in the cell block. Lifeline, who had been waiting in the Tomahawk went to work, hooking Duke up on machines to check his vitals.

"I radioed ahead to base and Doc is going to meet us at the tarmac. We have about an hour ride." Life Ticket called from the pilot seat.

"I don't know if he is going to last that long." Scarlett replied as more tears released themselves.

"His vitals are really low, but Duke is a fighter." Lifeline said as he continued to write down readings.

"What can I do for him?" Scarlett asked.

"Talk to him. Let him know you're here." Lifeline suggested.

"Duke, I'm here. We're on a tomahawk heading back to base. Just hang on, please." Scarlett whispered. She prayed that Duke would open his eyes. When nothing happened, she just continued to chatter away, "You know, going into a coma just to get a date with me worked once, but twice is pushing it" she tried to joke. She looked down for him to wake up with some sarcastic remark, but he remained still.

"Scarlett, do you know what he was poisoned with?" Lifeline asked.

"No, all Cobra Commander said is it would slowly shut down all of his organs and in a matter of hours he'd be dead." Scarlett sighed. She spent the rest of the ride holding Duke's hand and whispering words of encouragement for him to wake up.


	10. Chapter 10

The tomahawk touched down and as promised Doc was standing on the mat with a medical team. Scarlett saw Falcon standing with the team. She figured someone would have told him about the situation. Doc and his team swiftly jumped on the chopper and transferred Duke onto a gurney. No sooner had they jumped on than they were off, whisking Duke to sickbay.

"Scarlett, what happened?" Falcon asked looking anguished.

"They poisoned him." She replied throwing her arms around him as they both comforted each other. They were about to walk to sickbay together when shouts were heard.

"Cobra attack! They're coming in fast!" Beach Head announced.

"They're probably pissed about the false information." Scarlett concluded. Although she wanted nothing more than to be with Duke, she had to lead her team against the attack. She took a deep breath and began to rattle off assignments for the Joes.

"I'll stay on the ground for this one." Scarlett decided and ran towards the sounds of battle. She threw herself in the middle of a pack of guards and knocked each one out with a punch or a kick. She darted into the shadows between two hangers to surprise any more guards that would try to pass.

"Cobra Commander is very angry with you, love." A voice called from the shadows.

"Zartan!" she jumped hearing that voice.

"Relax, I come meaning no harm." Zartan came partially into the light raising his hands in the air.

"Oh really, and why should I believe that? You certainly seemed to want the opposite a few hours ago." Scarlett spat in disbelief.

"Let's just say the tide has changed. There's something I'd like to give you." Zartan said and went to pull something out of his pocket. Scarlett pulled her gun and cocked it. She watched him pull out a small vile of a greenish liquid.

"What's that?" Scarlett asked.

"The cure for Duke. This is the antidote for the poison." Zartan informed her with a smile.

"And why do you want to give it to me?" Scarlett asked narrowing her eyes.

"Cobra Commander promised me certain payment for setting up the scene of your capture. He has since gone back on his offer. I want to show him that crossing me is a deadly mistake and that revenge will be mine. Saving Duke's life will undo everything the commander has worked for." Zartan revealed his spiteful plan.

"I still have my doubts." Scarlett replied not changing her stance.

"What's the worse that can happen if you give it to him? He's already dying." Zartan reasoned.

"Throw it to me." Scarlett demanded still keeping her weapon aimed. Zartan did as she ordered. She caught it in her hand and slid it into her pocket.

"It will level off his vitals right away, but it will take a few days for him to regain his full health." Zartan warned.

"If this works…" Scarlett trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Cobra Commander will rue the day he deceived me!" Zartan exclaimed, "And Duke will be saved."

"You should go. I think Cobra is retreating." Scarlett advised hearing her own troops sounding victorious.

"Until we meet again and I hope we do" Zartan eyed her lustfully before retreating back into the shadows. Scarlett chased in his direction, but soon came to a wall. Zartan had somehow disappeared. For a moment she wondered if she had dreamt the whole encounter, but she felt the vile in her pocket. She flew to sickbay as fast as her legs would carry her.

She ran to the nurses' station and demanded to see Doc. Doc came out and Scarlett explained what had happened during the battle and gave the vile to Doc.

"And you trust what Zartan said?" Doc raised his eyebrow.

"At this point, does it really matter?" Scarlett asked sullenly.

"Point taken. I'll get on this right away." Doc agreed and hurried back into the room where Duke was being evaluated. Scarlett walked back to the waiting room and saw Diva and Falcon there, waiting for news on Duke. They were standing off to the side, wrapped up in each other's arms. She walked over and cleared her throat making her presence known.

"Oh, Scarlett, how is he?" Falcon asked as he and Diva parted.

"Not good, but there's hope." Scarlett replied telling Falcon about her encounter with Zartan.

"Hopefully Zartan was telling the truth." Diva replied after hearing the details.

"I hope so, too" Scarlett replied praying for the best. She sank down in a chair near by reliving the whole day over in her head. She had been so furious with Duke over the party incident. It all seemed so juvenile now that his life was in danger. She had wasted so much time being angry and resentful. And to realize that despite all these hard and cold feelings deep down there was a part of her that still loved him, was just overwhelming. Her heart felt heavy as she thought about the hours they had been captive, especially when Cobra Commander had injected him with the poison. She felt like she had been injected with something too, and her heart was dying along with him. Her mind fixated on Duke's expression when he told her he loved her…. She put her head in her hands and began weeping, begging God for another chance with Conrad.

She wasn't sure how long she had been like that, when she looked up to see Falcon standing in front of her.

"Scarlett, there's something I think you should know." Falcon replied seeming a bit nervous.

"What is it?" Scarlett asked wiping tears from her eyes.

"It's about Duke. I'm usually not one to get into other people's business, but I feel I should tell you this because he might not ever get the chance to himself." Falcon replied, swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat.

"Vince?" Scarlett asked concerned, using Falcon's given name.

"I know you and Duke had an intensely painful break up and that it hasn't exactly been a walk in the park since he's returned." Falcon began with his voice slightly shaking.

"I know. I didn't really give him a chance at a fresh start." Scarlett nodded feeling guilty.

"You guys have too much history for a fresh start. I don't think it would have been possible for you _or_ Duke to pull that off. You're both too stubborn for that." Falcon smiled half heartedly.

"You're right about that." Scarlett agreed.

"That's why I think it's important to tell you that beyond all the hurt and resentment, Conrad is still very much in love with you. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth. I wouldn't make something like that up, not now." Falcon revealed seriously. He watched Scarlett's eyes drink in the news quicker than he imagined she would.

"I know," Scarlett answered a few moments later.

"You do? Oh-well- I, um, didn't know he told you." Falcon replied clearly embarrassed.

"He told me while we were captive, right before we were rescued. I'm sure he told me for the same reason you thought to." Scarlett tried to ease his embarrassment.

"I just couldn't have him go with you thinking he hated you." Falcon's eyes welded up thinking of the possibility. Scarlett instinctively stood up and wrapped her arms around Falcon for a supportive hug.

"We need to be strong for him. He wouldn't want us to be in so much pain because of him." Scarlett spoke as a mantra to get them through this. She felt Falcon nod against her. Doc's voice entered the room and they both turned quickly. Diva came over to join them.

"So far so good. Whatever Zartan gave you has leveled his vitals and there has even been a slight improvement. He's still in a coma but there's hope." Doc announced. The three Joes sighed with relief, glad to hear about an improvement.

"I'll have Breaker make an announcement." Diva offered and went to place the call.

"Can we see him?" Scarlett asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not, just one person at a time. He's hooked up to a lot of machines so there's not a lot of space around the bed." Doc warned.

"Go ahead, Vince, see your brother." Scarlett ushered Vince to go first.

"No, you go. I think he'd much rather have you at his side." Falcon declined.

"No, please, go. I'll see him right when you're done." Scarlett shook her head. She knew once she got into that room, she was never going to leave him. Falcon nodded and proceeded towards Duke's room.

"You need to get your rest too. We can't have both of our top commanders out of commission." Doc ordered.

"I promise I'll get some sleep after I see Duke." Scarlett agreed. Doc walked back to his office. Soon other Joes began to pour into the waiting room, excited about Duke's positive news. All gave their love and support to Scarlett, who promised to pass it on to Duke. Falcon joined the crowd in the waiting room giving everyone a first hand report on how Duke was recovering. Scarlett took the moment to slip back into Duke's room. Doc wasn't kidding when he said there were a lot of machines hooked up. Scarlett had never seen so many wires hooked up to anyone before.

"Conrad, I'm here." She whispered taking a seat next to him. She took his hand into hers. She watched him for hours hoping something would change to show the antidote was working. She laid her head down next to Duke's arms and thought about everything she wanted to say to him. She couldn't wait for him to open his eyes.

She felt someone shake her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Doc looking down on her.

"Shana, I thought I made it quite clear to you that you needed to go home and get some rest." Doc scolded.

"I know. I just can't leave him. I won't." Scarlett vowed.

"You dozed off about an hour ago. You need your rest." Doc cautioned.

"He needs me here." Scarlett balked.

"What he needs is for his top shirt to be in top form in case anything arises. You know as well as I do that he would be picking you up and dragging you to bed himself if he could." Doc reasoned.

"You're right, call me with any changes." Scarlett replied getting up.

"Of course." Doc promised as he escorted her out.

Scarlett walked back to her quarters feeling like she was leaving part of herself in sickbay. The halls were quiet, which she relished. She didn't really feel like answering anyone's questions about Duke's condition. She entered her quarters to find Diva reading on the couch.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd be back." Diva smiled.

"Yeah, I dozed off while sitting with Duke." Scarlett replied taking a seat next to her.

"Any news?" Diva asked hopefully.

"No change since you were there." Scarlett reported with sorrow.

"I took the liberty of calling Allie and Dash while you were gone. I told them what happened. They said they would try to come up tomorrow to see him." Diva informed.

"Thanks." Scarlett said feeling relieved she didn't have to call them. It's not that she wouldn't, she just didn't have the energy to talk about the whole ordeal again.

"I told them they should stay home; it's Christmas Eve but they insisted. Dash said he had some relatives near here that they would stay with." Diva continued with a shrug.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve…" Scarlett suddenly remembered. She was supposed to fly home tomorrow morning to be with her family.

"I'm guessing your holiday plans have changed." Diva sighed hugging her knees.

"With Duke out of commission my duties demand I stay here, but I couldn't leave without knowing if he's going to be ok." Scarlett responded.

"I wish there was something else I could do." Diva sighed frustrated.

"Just be there for Falcon. He, especially, needs someone to lean on." Scarlett advised.

"With the holidays here, he's been thinking about Jinx a lot." Diva replied softly.

"Her death hit him hard. They were really close. I think she was the first person to really get to him. She got through all that bravado and actually found Vince in there." Scarlett fondly remembered her teammate. Jinx had died honorably in a Cobra battle almost three years ago.

"And now with Duke's life uncertain…" Diva sighed beginning to choke up.

"The anitdote seems to be working. Zartan said it may take a few days for Duke to recover." Scarlett tried to save her roommate from tears, even though she felt like crying herself. Diva nodded and blinked back her tears. "In all my years of knowing Falcon, I've known him to be a pretty private person. For him to open up to you about personal things, you must be special to him." Scarlett spoke, finding the topic change refreshing.

"I hope I am because he's special to me too." Diva softly smiled thinking of him. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"That's him. He had to take care of a few things earlier, but said he'd be back." Diva got up to answer the door.

"Do you need me to go? I can make myself scarce." Scarlett offered.

"No, you stay right where you are." Diva dismissed her. She opened the door and as she predicted, Falcon had arrive.

"Evening, ladies." Falcon greeted tipping his beret.

"How are you holding up?" Scarlett asked him.

"I'm ok. I just gotta keep believing the antidote is the answer." Falcon answered bravely. "I'm actually glad you're here, Shana. I wanted to ask if you would sing O Holy Night at our Christmas Eve gathering."

"Me? Don't you think you should be asking Chelsea?" Scarlett was taken aback.

"Duke's always loved the way you sang it. I figured it might help lift everyone's spirits." Falcon coaxed.

"Chelsea is the peformer. I'm fine sticking to singing in the shower." Scarlett shook her head.

"C'mon. For Duke?" Falcon begged.

Scarlett sighed defeated, "Alright, for Duke."

"We can make it a duet, if it that would make you feel more comfortable?" Diva suggested. Scarlett nodded, liking the idea.

The three sat in the living room chatting for most of the night, hoping to get a good news call from the infirmary. When the coffee ran low, Scarlett said good night to the others and went into her bedroom.

"I guess Scarlett has the right idea. We should all hit the hay." Diva sighed realizing the time.

"Chelsea," Falcon began, but stopped.

"What, Vince?" Diva asked concerned.

"What if the antidote doesn't work? What if Duke doesn't make out ok?" Falcon questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Let's not think about the 'what if's'. Let's just focus on the fact that Duke's vitals are stable. He's a strong man. He's going to make it. Just believe it." Diva comforted.

"You're right. Just gotta keep the faith." Falcon sighed heavily. He turned and headed towards the door.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Diva asked with a frown.

"I thought you wanted to go to sleep?" Falcon asked confused.

"Well, I want to go to bed…." Diva trailed off batting her eyelashes.

"Oh, I see." Falcon grinned taking her hand.

"I was hoping you'd keep me company tonight." Diva purred leading him to her bedroom.

"Oh, I'll keep you company alright." Falcon nodded with excitement. Diva opened her bedroom door.

"Good," she simply stated and pulled him inside.


End file.
